Social Psychology

PSY141SYA
Professor Tom Peric

“The Day of Compassion”

Vinura Abeysundara
108 157 223
27th of March 2023
 The Day of Compassion

The unsel sh concern for the bene t of others known as altruism has long
been a topic of study in social psychology. We have the ability to show
kindness and compassion to others, and these deeds can have a profound
effect on their wellbeing. In this post, I'll talk about my Day of Compassion
experience, in which I tried to live a compassionate life for the entire day in
order to lessen suffering and spread happiness. I'll go over the acts I
performed, the people who were affected by my behaviour, how other
people reacted to them, and the psychological strategies that can be
employed to promote compassion.

I started my day by making sure my head was in the correct place. One
tactic I employ is to imagine that today is my nal day on earth, which
makes me appreciate time and the day more. I wished my family back
home a good morning to them and wished them to have a good day. After
that, I started by doing simple favours for others, like holding the door open
or asking my coworkers if they wanted coffee. I also made a conscious
effort to pay more attention to my environment and search for chances to
show compassion for others nearby. I was travelling the subway when an
elderly woman approached me and requested for instructions, but instead
of just telling her — I showed her the way. This made her happy and I felt
ful lled after helping her to the best of my abilities.

I made an effort throughout the day to show compassion to individuals from

all walks of life, including those I was unfamiliar with. I gave the subway
musician, who I often always pass, a message of encouragement by
saying, "Excellent job, keep it up." He was busy playing his instrument, but
I hope it made him feel happier. I also made an effort to be compassionate
towards the persons I interacted with. People tended to respond favourably
to my acts when I made eye contact and smiled as it produced a positive
mood.
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 My actions have a variety of bene ciaries. Others were strangers, while
others were individuals I already knew, like my friends and coworkers. I like
being able to show generosity to someone I didn't know since I knew they
wouldn't anticipate it and it might make a big difference in their day.

I had a variety of comments, but in general, folks were startled and

appreciative of what I did. I hope that by modelling a kind and
compassionate attitude, I inspired others to do the same, creating a
positive feedback loop. For instance, when I opened a door for someone,
they grinned and expressed their gratitude. It was a good feeling to have a
sense of community and connection with those around me.

I would employ psychological strategies like social modelling, empathy, and

reciprocity to persuade people to act in the same way I did on the Day of
Compassion. Providing positive behaviour examples through social
modelling can effectively inspire others to act more compassionately.
Understanding another person's point of view is a necessary component of
empathy and can help people connect and develop compassion. Returning
positive behaviour to others is known as reciprocity, and it has been shown
to be a potent motivation for positive behaviour.

By fostering a sense of belonging, highlighting the value of empathy and

understanding, and supporting constructive social modelling, social
psychology can help develop compassion. We may enhance the welfare of
others and build a more positive society by cultivating a culture of kindness
and compassion.

The Day of Compassion was a great learning opportunity for me, and it
showed me the value of being conscious of my behaviour and actively
looking for chances to be kind and compassionate to those around me. I
discovered that even seemingly insigni cant deeds of kindness may
signi cantly affect other people, and that by promoting a compassionate
culture, we can build a happier and more cohesive community.
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References

Sussex Publishers. (n.d.). How to be more conscious and compassionate. Psychology

Today. Retrieved March 26, 2023, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-
empowerment-diary/201510/how-be-more-conscious-and-compassionate

Compassion vs. empathy: What's the difference? - 2023. MasterClass. (n.d.). Retrieved
March26, 2023, from https://www.masterclass.com/articles/compassion-vs-empathy

Lissarankin. (2022, September 22). 10 easy ways to cultivate compassion.

mindbodygreen.Retrieved March 26, 2023, from https://www.mindbodygreen.com/
articles/easy-ways-to-cultivate-compassion